Local community practices to improve healthy aging in the North

• Published in: Magyar Gerontológia
• Main Authors: Golubeva, Elena, Emelyanova, Anastasia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Debrecen Press 2021
• Subjects: healthy ageing; North; good practice; local community; Arctic; Norway
• Online Access: https://ojs.lib.unideb.hu/gerontologia/article/view/10575; https://doi.org/10.47225/mg/13/Kulonszam/10575

The governments of Finland, Denmark, Norway and Russia have developed national programs to address population ageing. There are also successful practices in healthy ageing at the local level in different countries, but they remain unknown among the global professional community and governmental authorities. Healthy ageing has become an important policy issue at all levels of the society. The key international document is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) plan for a Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020–2030 which is the second action plan of the WHO ‘s Global strategy on ageing and health. The Plan consists of 10 years of concerted, catalytic, sustained collaboration to improve the lives of older people, their families, and their communities. Older people themselves are in the core of this plan, and it brings together variety of actors, including governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media, and the private sector. The Plan also notes that healthy ageing is not only a healthcare issue but also needs to engage many other sectors. The aim of research was to search and introduce local community practices according the priority areas of WHO Decade of Healthy Aging action plan for gerontological policy in arctic countries. Examples of good practices for the Priority 1 of the Plan: Change how we think, feel and act towards age and ageing Fostering of Healthy Ageing requires fundamental shifts from existing stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination towards older people. Older people should not be seen only as an economic burden for the welfare society, but as contributors to the state and communities, and as resourceful carriers of traditional values and wisdom. Governments eliminate age discrimination by variety of actions, such as legislative changes, and policies and programs which engage older people in decision-making. Initiatives for Priority 2 of the Plan: Ensure that communities foster the abilities of older people The environments which are built on decisions made not ...